Tomatoes & Bubble Gum

The entrepreneurial spirit in Zimbabwe is incredible. It's a great testimony to the people here that when the going gets tough, the tough go into business. It seems like everyone has a business - whether it's selling wool slippers or baking cakes or making peanut butter. And there are people everywhere on the streets selling things - firewood, newspapers, rat poison, sunglasses, etc. The other day I passed by a group of young girls with a little stand outside of their house. On the little stand were a few tomatoes and some individually wrapped pieces of bubble gum. "Madam - don't you need any tomatoes or bubble gum?" Unfortunately, I didn't have any money on me. It struck me because it was just like the kid-manned lemonade stands you see at home in the summer. Only they were selling tomatoes and bubble gum, and they weren't doing it to make a little extra ice cream money - they were doing it to help support their family.